Playing cards with distinctive suits

ABSTRACT

A playing card deck with fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits, being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs. The thirteen cards of each suit are sequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace with the following distinctive color arrangement: a first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color; a second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color with a pink screened background, whether partial or whole; a third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color; and a fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color with a grey screened background, whether partial or whole.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of playing cards and morespecifically to playing cards with suits made distinctive by backgroundscreening.

The use of playing cards has been around for hundreds of years, and theconcept of four suits, with colors being two red and two black, haslikewise been conventional for hundreds of years. The use of suits withtwo through ten sequentially numbered face cards, with three picturecards, jack, queen and king, and with an ace, is, and has been standardfor poker, black jack and many other card games.

All card players, using standard two color decks, will from time to timeexperience errors trying to read their hand or the board when playingcard games. While such errors may only injure one's pride in a friendlyhome game, the same errors in a casino cash game could be financiallyvery costly.

These errors tend to be approximately ninety-five percent suit based,which is to say, the player will mistake one suit for another. Heartsand diamonds have always, since the first card design, been redmarkings, shapes and numbers with a completely white background.Likewise, spades and clubs have always been black markings, shapes andnumbers with a completely white background. Thus it can be seen that aplayer may mistake a heart for a diamond or vice-versa, and likewisemistake a spade for a club and vice-versa.

Over the years, no one has been successful in solving this problem withsuit color likeness and still maintaining the same two age-oldacceptable colors, red and black. There have been attempts to use fourcolors instead of just red and black as well as suit-based color tones,but these attempts are generally not acceptable to card players.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For the first time in the long history of the playing card deck of fiftytwo cards, the present invention will eliminate card playing errors dueto suit color likeness and still maintain the acceptable colors of redand black and be a help to all players, especially those with poorvisibility.

The present invention is a playing card deck with fifty-two cardsdivided equally into four suits, being hearts, diamonds, spades andclubs. The thirteen cards of each suit are sequentially numbered facecards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace with thefollowing distinctive color arrangement:

-   -   a) A first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and        numbers being a red color;    -   b) A second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes        and numbers being a red color with a background, whether partial        or whole, screened or tinted a pink color;    -   c) A third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and        numbers being a black color; and    -   d) A fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and        numbers being a black color with a background, whether partial        or whole, screened or tinted a grey color.

A further embodiment of the present invention is a playing card deckwith fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits, being hearts,diamonds, spades and clubs. The thirteen cards of each suit aresequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, aking and an ace with the following distinctive color arrangement:

-   -   e) A first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and        numbers being a red color with a background, whether partial or        whole, screened or tinted a pink color;    -   f) A second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes        and numbers being a red color;    -   g) A third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and        numbers being a black color with a background, whether partial        or whole, screened or tinted a grey color; and    -   h) A fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and        numbers being a black color.

It is understood that the pink screened background as applied either tothe heart suit or the diamond suit will not obscure the markings, suitshapes or numbers on any card but only serve as a quick visualidentification of suit to the player. Thus the player will not mistake aheart for a diamond and vice-versa.

Likewise, it is understood that the grey-screened background as appliedeither to the spade suit or the club suit will not obscure the markings,suit shapes or numbers on any card but only serve as a quick visualidentification of suit to the player. Thus the player will not mistake aspade for a club and vice-versa.

It is an object of this invention that the inventive deck and colorarrangement be applicable to electronic depictions of playing card decksas common in video and computer games and on the internet as well as tomanual playing card decks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the heart suit of the present invention with allmarkings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color having a whitebackground.

FIG. 2 illustrates the diamond suit of the present invention with allmarkings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color but having a pinkbackground.

FIG. 3 illustrates the heart and diamond suits of the present inventionwith an alternative face arrangement and the distinctive contrastbetween these two suits with hearts having a white background anddiamonds having a pink background.

FIG. 4 illustrates the spade suit of the present invention with allmarkings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color having a whitebackground.

FIG. 5 illustrates the club suit of the present invention with allmarkings, club shapes and numbers being a black color but having a greybackground.

FIG. 6 illustrates the spade and club suits of the present inventionwith an alternative face arrangement and the distinctive contrastbetween these two suits with spades having a white background and clubshaving a grey background.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates all thirteen cards of the heart suit 1 withsequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, aking and an ace. All markings 2, heart shapes 3 and numbers 4 are a redcolor as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks. In thisembodiment, the background 5 of each card of the heart suit 1 is a whitecolor as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks.

FIG. 2 illustrates all thirteen cards of the diamond suit 6 withsequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, aking and an ace. All markings 7, diamonds shapes 8 and numbers 9 are ared color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks. Inthis embodiment, the background 10 of each card of the diamond suit 6 isscreened or tinted a pink color.

It is understood that in this embodiment, the diamond suit 6 would havethe background 10 screened or tinted a pink color while the background 5of the heart suit would be a white color. However, in an alternativeembodiment, the heart suit 6 would have the background 5 screened ortinted a pink color while the background 10 of the diamond suit 6 wouldbe a white color.

FIG. 3 illustrates four numbered cards from the heart suit 1 and diamondsuit 6 of the present invention with an alternative face arrangement andthe distinctive contrast between these two suits with hearts 1 having awhite background and diamonds 6 having a pink background.

The embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, shows thediamond suit 6 with the background 10 screened or tinted a pink colorwhile the background 5 of the heart suit is a white color. However, inan alternative embodiment, the heart suit 1 would have the background 5screened or tinted a pink color while the background 10 of the diamondsuit 6 would be a white color.

In FIG. 3, the alternative face arrangement depicts a boxed outline 11around the number of suit shapes pertaining to the card number. In analternative embodiment the background of the suit, whether it be hearts1 or diamonds 6, which is to be screened or tinted a pink color, be onlyscreened or tinted within the boxed outline 11, with the remainder ofthe background a white color.

FIG. 4 illustrates all thirteen cards of the spade suit 12 withsequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, aking and an ace. All markings 13, spade shapes 14 and numbers 15 are ablack color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks.The background 16 of each card of the spade suit 12 is a white color ascommonly and traditionally used in playing card decks.

FIG. 5 illustrates all thirteen cards of the club suit 17 withsequentially numbered face cards, two through ten, a jack, a queen, aking and an ace. All markings 18, club shapes 19 and numbers 20 are ablack color as commonly and traditionally used in playing card decks. Inthis embodiment, the background 21 of each card of the clubs suit 17 isscreened or tinted a grey color.

It is understood that in this embodiment, the club suit 17 would havethe background 21 screened or tinted a grey color while the background16 of the spade suit would be a white color. However, in an alternativeembodiment, the spade suit 12 would have the background 16 screened ortinted a grey color while the background 21 of the club suit 17 would bea white color.

FIG. 6 illustrates four numbered cards from the spade suit 12 and clubsuit 17 of the present invention with an alternative face arrangementand the distinctive contrast between these two suits with spades 12having a white background and clubs 17 having a grey background.

The embodiment depicted in FIG. 6, as in FIGS. 4 and 5, shows the clubsuit 17 with the background 21 screened or tinted a grey color while thebackground 16 of the spade suit 12 is a white color. However, in analternative embodiment, the spade suit 12 would have the background 16screened or tinted a grey color while the background 21 of the club suit17 would be a white color.

In FIG. 6, the alternative face arrangement depicts a boxed outline 11around the number of suit shapes pertaining to the card number. In analternative embodiment the background of the suit, whether it be spades12 or diamonds 17, which is to be screened or tinted a grey color, beonly screened or tinted within the boxed outline 11, with the remainderof the background a white color.

It is intended that the pink or grey color screened or tinted on thebackground of the intended cards be of reduced intensity so as not toobscure the markings, suit shapes or numbers of said cards, whichmarkings, suit shapes or numbers should be in distinct contrast to thebackground.

1. A playing card deck comprising fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits of thirteen cards each, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, said thirteen cards of each suit each bearing a shape pertaining to its respective suit, and each of said thirteen cards of each suit having sequentially numbered face cards with numbers two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace, said cards having the following distinctive color arrangement: a first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color; a second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color with a pink screened background; a third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color, and a fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color with a grey screened background.
 2. A playing card deck comprising fifty-two cards divided equally into four suits of thirteen cards each, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, said thirteen cards of each suit each bearing a shape pertaining to its respective suit, and each of said thirteen cards of each suit having sequentially numbered face cards with numbers two through ten, a jack, a queen, a king and an ace, said cards having the following distinctive color arrangement: a first suit, hearts, with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color with a pink screened background; a second suit, diamonds, with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color; a third suit, spades, with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color with a grey screened background; and a fourth suit, clubs, with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color.
 3. The playing card deck of claim 1 wherein the pink screened background of the second suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said second suit and the grey screened background of the fourth suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said fourth suit.
 4. The playing card deck of claim 2 wherein the pink screened background of the first suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said first suit and the grey screened background of the third suit covers less than the entire background of the cards in said third suit.
 5. The playing card deck of claim 1 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.
 6. The playing card deck of claim 2 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.
 7. The playing card deck of claim 3 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.
 8. The playing card deck of claim 4 wherein the playing card deck is provided as an electronic depiction or simulation of a playing card deck.
 9. A plurality of playing cards forming a deck, said plurality of cards including four suits, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, comprising: a first group of heart-suited cards with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color on a white background; a second group of diamond-suited cards with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color on a non-white background; a third group of spade-suited cards with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color on a white background; and a fourth group of club-suited cards with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color on a non-white background.
 10. The plurality of cards of claim 9 wherein said second group of diamond-suited cards is on a pink background.
 11. The plurality of cards of claim 9 wherein said fourth group of club-suited cards is on a grey background.
 12. A plurality of playing cards forming a deck, said plurality of cards including four suits, said suits being hearts, diamonds, spades and clubs, comprising: a first group of diamond-suited cards with all markings, diamond shapes and numbers being a red color on a white background; a second group of heart-suited cards with all markings, heart shapes and numbers being a red color on a non-white background; a third group of club-suited cards with all markings, club shapes and numbers being a black color on a white background; and a fourth group of spade-suited cards with all markings, spade shapes and numbers being a black color on a non-white background.
 13. The plurality of cards of claim 12 wherein said second group of heart-suited cards is on a pink background.
 14. The plurality of cards of claim 9 wherein said fourth group of spade-suited cards is on a grey background. 